Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Whether former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjanis Friday sermon at Tehran University was more about himself or the new dynamics in Iranian politics time alone will tell. What is obvious at the moment,however,is that Tehran hasnt seen the end of the opposition challenge yet,despite the crackdown driving protests from the streets. It is not just Rafsanjanis stature that should worry President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. More disconcerting must be Rafsanjanis message that if it hadnt already lost many Iranians trust because of the controversial presidential election,it certainly did so,and continues to do so,because of its handling of the opposition protests.
One of the original insider champions of Mir-Hossein Moussavis candidacy,Rafsanjani has been careful enough to not directly question the election results,blessed as they are by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But his sermon asked Khamenei to be more conciliatory; to many Iranians and foreign observers,Khamenei had appeared partisan when the opposition took to the streets. Now,Rafsanjani has cleverly put the ball in the Supreme Leaders court,while evoking the spirit of unity and reconciliation. The post-election doubts and socio-political rupture are consuming an Iran that needs a compromise between opposition and government. In rebuking the Guardian Council for failing to properly investigate the electoral fraud and proposing a possible solution,Rafsanjani has meted out a challenge to Khamenei who,along with Ahmadinejad,has the disadvantage of having appeared to simply shut the door on compromise a door that Rafsanjani now seems to be opening again for the Iranian people.
